Any savvy business owner knows that they need to have an online presence, and a key part of this presence is the usage of social media. While Facebook retains its crown as the king of social media for business usage, Twitter is definitely an important tool that any business should seek to leverage. This is especially true for ecommerce businesses, who rely on online and social media marketing more than conventional retail stores.

However, just having a Twitter account for your ecommerce business and updating it every so often isn’t enough to allow you to really make the most of the potential of Twitter. Ensuring that your account is interesting and up-to-date is an important part of your strategy, but it’s also important to think about what you shouldn’t do. So whether your ecommerce store is established or you’re just beginning to learn how to sell online, you’re going to want to ensure your followers don’t hit the “unfollow” button because you…

#1 – Tweet about nothing but your business

Yes, you’re using Twitter as a promotional tool for your ecommerce business; that’s a given. However, your followers (and potential followers) aren’t going to want to stick around if the business is the only thing you tweet about. Twitter is an engaging platform that encourages discussion and interaction; if followers feel like they are receiving nothing but an endless stream of promotion, they’re going to hit “unfollow”.

Ultimately, the fact that your Tweets are appearing in people’s timelines is sufficient promotion 90% of the time, so don’t go overboard and talk constantly about your company.

#2 – Tweet too often

How often should your business account Tweet? The subject has been much discussed, and everyone seems to have a different answer.

The truth is that you should Tweet as often as is necessary. If you only Tweet when you have something worth saying — responding to a news story or launching a new product, for example — then your account will be worth following. Tweeting just because an online guide told you you had to Tweet every day is pointless. Tweet as frequently, or as infrequently, as necessity requires.

You should Tweet as often as is necessary. If you only Tweet when you have something worth saying — responding to a news story or launching a new product, for example — then your account will be worth following

#3 – Fail to respond to enquiries

If you ignore messages or DMs sent to your business Twitter account then, frankly, you might as well not have an account. Responding to these messages is time consuming, but it’s also a crucial part of leveraging the usefulness of the platform.

If a customer does not receive a response to a question, then there’s a good chance they will simply abandon their purchase and go elsewhere. Treat Tweets as important customer queries, which should be given the same level of priority as any other form of customer engagement or communication.

A quick word of advice: if you don’t have open DMs, then change your settings to enable this feature.

In conclusion

If you avoid the above, then your followers will stick around, and your ability to market and drive your ecommerce business forward will be protected. Good luck!